The present invention relates to a radar apparatus for detecting an object on the periphery of a vehicle and a vehicle control apparatus for operating two or more traveling control apparatuses or alarm control apparatuses by means of the radar apparatus and stopping operation of traveling control or alarm control when detection performance of the radar apparatus is deteriorated.
Heretofore, in order to perform traveling control or alarm control of a vehicle, position information of a target detected by a radar apparatus mounted in a vehicle or relative speed information between the target and the vehicle is used. In such control, when detection performance of the radar apparatus is reduced due to a heavy rain or dirt attached to the surface of the radar apparatus, the traveling control or the alarm control cannot be performed in safety and accordingly avoidance measures for stopping all the controls are adopted.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,651 discloses a traveling safety device which changes a control logic so that traveling can be made in safety within the range that a radar apparatus can make detection when detection performance of the radar apparatus is reduced.
In the conventional method of stopping of all the controls, however, when the radar apparatus detects an obstruction short distance away, the traveling control or the alarm control cannot be performed and accordingly it is not desirable in safety.
Further, in the method of changing the control logic, a control range for a distance at which control is started is changed in accordance with detection performance of the radar apparatus and accordingly when judgment accuracy of detection performance deteriorates or when a strong reflection signal from a large obstruction is received, the obstruction is sometimes detected far from the maximum detecting distance of the detection performance of the radar apparatus. In such a case, alarm cannot be produced.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control apparatus having high safety by stopping various traveling control apparatuses in accordance with detection performance of the radar apparatus individually so that obstruction information detected can be utilized at the maximum regardless of the detection performance of the radar apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to enhance the safety of the system by notifying an operation stopped state of vehicle control or alarm control to a driver.
It is a further object of the present invention to automatically detect detection performance of obstruction detection means by means of an RCS value of a detected moving body.
It is a further object of the present invention to automatically detect detection performance of a radar apparatus by means of a maximum detection distance of a detected moving body or stationary object.
It is a further object of the present invention to allow each external control apparatus to judge stop of operation by outputting a detection performance level of a radar apparatus of a vehicle outside.
The above object can be achieved by the provision of obstruction detection means for measuring a headway distance until an obstruction existing in front of a vehicle by means of a radar apparatus, means for performing vehicle control or alarm control on the basis of the headway distance, means for detecting detection performance of the obstruction detection means in a vehicle in which the obstruction detection means is used to perform two or more controls containing the vehicle control or alarm control, and means for controlling to stop operation of the vehicle control or alarm control in accordance with the detection performance individually.
Further, the present invention comprises means for notifying an operation stopped state of vehicle control or alarm control to a driver.
Further, the present invention comprises obstruction detection means for detecting an obstruction existing in front of the vehicle by means of the radar apparatus, means for acquiring a speed of the vehicle, means for identifying a moving body from the obstruction on the basis of the speed, means of calculating an RCS value of the moving body, statistical processing means for calculating an average or dispersion of the RCS value, and means for detecting detection performance of the obstruction detection means on the basis of a result of said statistical processing.
Further, the present invention comprises obstruction detection means for detecting an obstruction existing in front of the vehicle by means of the radar apparatus, means for acquiring a distance at which an obstruction begins to be detected or a distance at which an obstruction begins to be missed, and means for detecting detection performance of the obstruction detection means on the basis of the distance at which the obstruction begins to be detected or the distance at which the obstruction begins to be missed.
Further, the present invention comprises obstruction detection means for measuring a headway distance until an obstruction existing in front of the vehicle or a relative speed to the obstruction, means for classifying detection performance of the obstruction detection means into a plurality of levels, and means for outputting the level outside.